To…morrow
  by　Joseph　Conrad
  What　was　known　of　Captain　Hagberd　in　the　little
  seaport　of　Colebrook　was　not　exactly　in　his　favour。
  He　did　not　belong　to　the　place。　　He　had　come　to
  settle　there　under　circumstances　not　at　all　myste…
  rioushe　used　to　be　very　communicative　about
  them　at　the　timebut　extremely　morbid　and　un…
  reasonable。　　He　was　possessed　of　some　little　money
  evidently；　because　he　bought　a　plot　of　ground；　and
  had　a　pair　of　ugly　yellow　brick　cottages　run　up
  very　cheaply。　　He　occupied　one　of　them　himself
  and　let　the　other　to　Josiah　Carvilblind　Carvil；
  the　retired　boat…buildera　man　of　evil　repute　as　a
  domestic　tyrant。
  These　cottages　had　one　wall　in　common；　shared
  in　a　line　of　iron　railing　dividing　their　front　gar…
  dens；　a　wooden　fence　separated　their　back　gardens。
  Miss　Bessie　Carvil　was　allowed；　as　it　were　of　right；
  to　throw　over　it　the　tea…cloths；　blue　rags；　or　an
  apron　that　wanted　drying。
  〃It　rots　the　wood；　Bessie　my　girl；〃　the　captain
  would　remark　mildly；　from　his　side　of　the　fence；
  each　time　he　saw　her　exercising　that　privilege。
  She　was　a　tall　girl；　the　fence　was　low；　and
  she　could　spread　her　elbows　on　the　top。　　Her　hands
  would　be　red　with　the　bit　of　washing　she　had　done；
  but　her　forearms　were　white　and　shapely；　and　she
  would　look　at　her　father's　landlord　in　silencein
  an　informed　silence　which　had　an　air　of　knowledge；
  expectation　and　desire。
  〃It　rots　the　wood；〃　repeated　Captain　Hagberd。
  〃It　is　the　only　unthrifty；　careless　habit　I　know　in
  you。　　Why　don't　you　have　a　clothes　line　out　in　your
  back　yard？〃
  Miss　Carvil　would　say　nothing　to　thisshe　only
  shook　her　head　negatively。　　The　tiny　back　yard
  on　her　side　had　a　few　stone…bordered　little　beds　of
  black　earth；　in　which　the　simple　flowers　she　found
  time　to　cultivate　appeared　somehow　extravagantly
  overgrown；　as　if　belonging　to　an　exotic　clime；　and
  Captain　Hagberd's　upright；　hale　person；　clad　in
  No。　1　sail…cloth　from　head　to　foot；　would　be　emer…
  ging　knee…deep　out　of　rank　grass　and　the　tall　weeks
  on　his　side　of　the　fence。　　He　appeared；　with　the　col…
  our　and　uncouth　stiffness　of　the　extraordinary　ma…
  terial　in　which　he　chose　to　clothe　himself〃for　the
  time　being；〃　would　be　his　mumbled　remark　to　any
  observation　on　the　subjectlike　a　man　roughened
  out　of　granite；　standing　in　a　wilderness　not　big
  enough　for　a　decent　billiard…room。　　A　heavy　figure
  of　a　man　of　stone；　with　a　red　handsome　face；　a　blue
  wandering　eye；　and　a　great　white　beard　flowing
  to　his　waist　and　never　trimmed　as　far　as　Colebrook
  knew。
  Seven　years　before；　he　had　seriously　answered；
  〃Next　month；　I　think；〃　to　the　chaffing　attempt　to
  secure　his　custom　made　by　that　distinguished　local
  wit；　the　Colebrook　barber；　who　happened　to　be　sit…
  ting　insolently　in　the　tap…room　of　the　New　Inn　near
  the　harbour；　where　the　captain　had　entered　to　buy
  an　ounce　of　tobacco。　　After　paying　for　his　pur…
  chase　with　three　half…pence　extracted　from　the　cor…
  ner　of　a　handkerchief　which　he　carried　in　the　cuff
  of　his　sleeve；　Captain　Hagberd　went　out。　　As　soon
  as　the　door　was　shut　the　barber　laughed。　　〃The
  old　one　and　the　young　one　will　be　strolling　arm　in
  arm　to　get　shaved　in　my　place　presently。　　The
  tailor　shall　be　set　to　work；　and　the　barber；　and　the
  candlestick　maker；　high　old　times　are　coming　for
  Colebrook；　they　are　coming；　to　be　sure。　　It　used　to
  be　'next　week；'　now　it　has　come　to　'next　month；'
  and　so　onsoon　it　will　be　next　spring；　for　all　I
  know。〃
  Noticing　a　stranger　listening　to　him　with　a　va…
  cant　grin；　he　explained；　stretching　out　his　legs　cyn…
  ically；　that　this　queer　old　Hagberd；　a　retired　coast…
  ing…skipper；　was　waiting　for　the　return　of　a　son　of
  his。　　The　boy　had　been　driven　away　from　home；　he
  shouldn't　wonder；　had　run　away　to　sea　and　had
  never　been　heard　of　since。　　Put　to　rest　in　Davy
  Jones's　locker　this　many　a　day；　as　likely　as　not。
  That　old　man　came　flying　to　Colebrook　three
  years　ago　all　in　black　broadcloth　（had　lost　his　wife
  lately　then）；　getting　out　of　a　third…class　smoker
  as　if　the　devil　had　been　at　his　heels；　and　the　only
  thing　that　brought　him　down　was　a　lettera　hoax
  probably。　　Some　joker　had　written　to　him　about　a
  seafaring　man　with　some　such　name　who　was　sup…
  posed　to　be　hanging　about　some　girl　or　other；　either
  in　Colebrook　or　in　the　neighbourhood。　　〃Funny；
  ain't　it？〃　　The　old　chap　had　been　advertising　in
  the　London　papers　for　Harry　Hagberd；　and　offer…
  ing　rewards　for　any　sort　of　likely　information。
  And　the　barber　would　go　on　to　describe　with　sar…
  donic　gusto；　how　that　stranger　in　mourning　had
  been　seen　exploring　the　country；　in　carts；　on　foot；
  taking　everybody　into　his　confidence；　visiting　all
  the　inns　and　alehouses　for　miles　around；　stopping
  people　on　the　road　with　his　questions；　looking　into
  the　very　ditches　almost；　first　in　the　greatest　excite…
  ment；　then　with　a　plodding　sort　of　perseverance；
  growing　slower　and　slower；　and　he　could　not　even
  tell　you　plainly　how　his　son　looked。　　The　sailor
  was　supposed　to　be　one　of　two　that　had　left　a　tim…
  ber　ship；　and　to　have　been　seen　dangling　after　some
  girl；　but　the　old　man　described　a　boy　of　fourteen
  or　so〃a　clever…looking；　high…spirited　boy。〃　　And
  when　people　only　smiled　at　this　he　would　rub　his
  forehead　in　a　confused　sort　of　way　before　he　slunk
  off；　looking　offended。　　He　found　nobody；　of
  course；　not　a　trace　of　anybodynever　heard　of
  anything　worth　belief；　at　any　rate；　but　he　had　not
  been　able　somehow　to　tear　himself　away　from　Cole…
  brook。
  〃It　was　the　shock　of　this　disappointment；　per…
  haps；　coming　soon　after　the　loss　of　his　wife；　that
  had　driven　him　crazy　on　that　point；〃　the　barber
  suggested；　with　an　air　of　great　psychological　in…
  sight。　　After　a　time　the　old　man　abandoned　the　ac…
  tive　search。　　His　son　had　evidently　gone　away；
  but　he　settled　himself　to　wait。　　His　son　had　been
  once　at　least　in　Colebrook　in　preference　to　his　na…
  tive　place。　　There　must　have　been　some　reason　for
  it；　he　seemed　to　think；　some　very　powerful　induce…
  ment；　that　would　bring　him　back　to　Colebrook
  again。
  〃Ha；　ha；　ha！　　Why；　of　course；　Colebrook。
  Where　else？　　That's　the　only　place　in　the　United
  Kingdom　for　your　long…lost　sons。　　So　he　sold　up
  his　old　home　in　Colchester；　and　down　he　comes　here。
  Well；　it's　a　craze；　like　any　other。　　Wouldn't　catch
  me　going　crazy　over　any　of　my　youngsters　clear…
  ing　out。　　I've　got　eight　of　them　at　home。〃　　The
  barber　was　showing　off　his　strength　of　mind　in　the
  midst　of　a　laughter　that　shook　the　tap…room。
  Strange；　though；　that　sort　of　thing；　he　would
  confess；　with　the　frankness　of　a　superior　intelli…
  gence；　seemed　to　be　catching。　　His　establishment；
  for　instance；　was　near　the　harbour；　and　whenever　a
  sailorman　came　in　for　a　hair…cut　or　a　shaveif　it
  was　a　strange　face　he　couldn't　help　thinking　di…
  rectly；　〃Suppose　he's　the　son　of　old　Hagberd！〃
  He　laughed　at　himself　for　it。　　It　was　a　strong
  craze。　　He　could　remember　the　time　when　the　whole
  town　was　full　of　it。　　But　he　had　his　hopes　of　the
  old　chap　yet。　　He　would　cure　him　by　a　course　of
  judicious　chaffing。　　He　was　watching　the　progress
  of　the　treatment。　　Next　weeknext　monthnext
  year！　　When　the　old　skipper　had　put　off　the　date
  of　that　return　till　next　year；　he　would　be　well　on
  his　way　to　not　saying　any　more　about　it。　　In　other
  matters　he　was　quite　rational；　so　this；　too；　was
  bound　to　come。　　Such　was　the　barber's　firm　opin…
  ion。
  Nobody　had　ever　contradicted　him；　his　own　hair
  had　gone　grey　since　that　time；　and　Captain　Hag…
  berd's　beard　had　turned　quite　white；　and　had　ac…
  quired　a　majestic　flow　over　the　No。　1　canvas　suit；
  which　he　had　made　for　himself　secretly　with　tarred
  twine；　and　had　assumed　suddenly；　coming　out　in
  it　one　fine　morning；　whereas　the　evening　before　he
  had　been　seen　going　home　in　his　mourning　of
  broadcloth。　　It　caused　a　sensation　in　the　High
  Streetshopkeepers　coming　to　their　doors；　people
  in　the　houses　snatching　up　their　hats　to　run　out
  a　stir　at　which　he　seemed　strangely　surprised　at
  first；　and　then　scared；　but　his　only　answer　to　the
  wondering　questions　was　that　startled　and　evasive；
  〃For　the　present。〃
  That　sensation　had　been　forgotten；